Are Gates Miata accessory belts as good as they say?

AlexMaier · **Posted:** Tue Apr 08, 2008 4:57 pm

MiataMania is selling these "performance" accessory belts, and I am going to be buying some just to have them handy for the case one breaks, and here's the questions:

1. Does anyone here on the list have experience with these or other "performance" belts? Are they really that much better?

2. If I bought them and threw them in the trunk for the cold and rainy night one of my accessory belts will break on me far from all civilization, how long would you say their shelf life would be? I doubt that they can be kept indefinitely before installation.

Thanks!

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Tue Apr 08, 2008 5:26 pm

AlexMaier wrote:

MiataMania is selling these "performance" accessory belts, and I am going to be buying some just to have them handy for the case one breaks, and here's the questions:

1. Does anyone here on the list have experience with these or other "performance" belts? Are they really that much better?

2. If I bought them and threw them in the trunk for the cold and rainy night one of my accessory belts will break on me far from all civilization, how long would you say their shelf life would be? I doubt that they can be kept indefinitely before installation.

Thanks!

1. Seems like a good idea (the heat resistant stuff), so long as they don't cost an arm and a leg compared to "regular" replacement drive belts. At 32 bucks a piece, I'd probably roll the dice on them. Besides, they're blue. They've got to be better.

2. I'd say the shelf life of a belt sitting in your trunk is measured in years, not months. Think of how long some of the ones at AutoZone have probably been sitting on the shelf before you buy them. I wouldn't worry about that much.

Maybe someone with a Miata can talk to whether or not the fancy heat resistant belts are worth the money?

AlexMaier · **Posted:** Tue Apr 08, 2008 5:42 pm

Quote:

At 32 bucks a piece, I'd probably roll the dice on them. Besides, they're blue. They've got to be better.

Added bonus, they'll color-match my car! ;)

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Tue Apr 08, 2008 6:36 pm

Cheap belts on a Miata will NEVER, EVER stop squealing.

OEM or the Gates stuff is a great idea.

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

Overtightening belts causes squealing, not the rubber compound. PT Barnum would love to sell you a set of $32 accessory belts too. :shock:

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Tue Apr 08, 2008 9:07 pm

Wes Eargle wrote:

Overtightening belts causes squealing, not the rubber compound. PT Barnum would love to sell you a set of $32 accessory belts too. :shock:

Is that actually a lot of money? I honestly don't know. The last time I bought an accessory belt, it was for my Excursion 7.3L diesel. It was a serpentine belt that could have held up a small suspension bridge, and from the Ford dealer, it was well over $50, I want to say it was $75.

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

It's only more than twice as much as Advance Auto charges for Dayco belts. YMMV.

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

Karl Shultz wrote:

2. I'd say the shelf life of a belt sitting in your trunk is measured in years, not months. Think of how long some of the ones at AutoZone have probably been sitting on the shelf before you buy them. I wouldn't worry about that much.

Of course, the trunk of a dark blue car in summer is going to be a lot hotter than any parts warehouse. But if Miata's are bad about breaking / throwing belts, then sure, put one in the trunk, along with the tools required to install it. Also, a neon or LED trouble light, since you can be sure it won't break in the daytime.

Funny thing - I was always told Miatas were trouble-free, unless you count valvetrain noise, VIR armco, or cars belonging to Ryan.

AlexMaier · **Posted:** Tue Apr 08, 2008 10:53 pm

So far, it's been trouble-free, but I was scared by a story a friend from MSCCNC told me about his alternator belt breaking at an autocross. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but maybe not, considering that autoX events usually are held on Sundays and more than the 100 free-towing AAA miles away from home...

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Wed Apr 09, 2008 7:28 am

Wes Eargle wrote:

Overtightening belts causes squealing, not the rubber compound. PT Barnum would love to sell you a set of $32 accessory belts too. :shock:

Well I should have had you tighten my belts then. Tight or loose the damn AA belts would squeal like a pig. The OEM Mazda ones, not so much.

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

Belt dressing?

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Wed Apr 09, 2008 7:47 am

Wes Eargle wrote:

Belt dressing?

Tried that too

SQEEEK!

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Wed Apr 09, 2008 7:53 am

AlexMaier wrote:

So far, it's been trouble-free, but I was scared by a story a friend from MSCCNC told me about his alternator belt breaking at an autocross. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but maybe not, considering that autoX events usually are held on Sundays and more than the 100 free-towing AAA miles away from home...

Alex, I honestly wouldn't worry about it. My Miata has been an autocross car for about 11 years now (4 as my car, 6 as my brother's) and it hasn't thrown a belt yet.

Don't let one friend's story scare you. If you do that then you should be worried about crashing into trees, light poles, drainage grates, rocks that randomly pop out on course and flipping. All things I've heard happen at autocrosses.

Frank Catena · **Joined:** Wed Aug 27, 2003 1:08 pm **Posts:** 418

FWIW - My Miata belt story - check the part number *on the belt* when you buy it ...

The cardboard outer sleeve the belt came in had the correct part number ... the belt was apparently packed in the sleeve by someone suffering from dyslexia. Amazing the difference in length a couple of transposed numbers can make ....

Frank

Les Davis · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 2:04 pm **Posts:** 2059

Todd Breakey wrote:

AlexMaier wrote:

So far, it's been trouble-free, but I was scared by a story a friend from MSCCNC told me about his alternator belt breaking at an autocross. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but maybe not, considering that autoX events usually are held on Sundays and more than the 100 free-towing AAA miles away from home...

Alex, I honestly wouldn't worry about it. My Miata has been an autocross car for about 11 years now (4 as my car, 6 as my brother's) and it hasn't thrown a belt yet.

Don't let one friend's story scare you. If you do that then you should be worried about crashing into trees, light poles, drainage grates, rocks that randomly pop out on course and flipping. All things I've heard happen at autocrosses.

I'm with Todd on this one Alex. Though if you are buying belts, Gates is a good choice, not sure you need the special "racing" version. You should be able to source regular Gates belts locally with a few phone calls.

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